Police defer body-worn camera issue again, saying Hamilton is different than the U.S.

Police defer body-worn camera issue again, saying Hamilton is different than the U.S.

"There are systemic issues down there that we don't have up here, to some extent," including "concerns around race," one officer says. It was the third time the police board has decided to hold off on body-worn cameras.

'There are systemic issues down there that we don't have up here,' officer says

Hamilton police have decided to wait on implementing body-worn cameras for officers. (CBC)

Hamilton police have once again held off on body-worn cameras for officers, saying research doesn't show they're worth the money, and Canada doesn't have the same tensions between police and public as the U.S.

Hamilton's police services board went along with a police recommendation Thursday saying there was no need for officers to wear cameras right now. It was the third time the officers have reported back since 2014. There's no date set for when they'll come back again.

Chief Eric Girt says Canada isn't the same as the U.S., where police wear lapel cams in several cities. And two officers on the committee say for Canadian officers, it's more "a public relations issue" than a matter of public trust.

"As far as comparing us to the U.S., it's two different animals," said Supt. Mike Worster. He's part of a police committee that meets quarterly to discuss the issue.

Staff Sgt. Todd Robertson shows off the body cameras that all front-line Calgary Police Service members will wear by the beginning of 2017. The service has issued a request for proposals for a new camera supplier and is suing the previous one. (Monty Kruger/CBC)

"There are systemic issues down there that we don't have up here, to some extent. I'm not denying there could be similar issues, but not to the extent that they have in the States."

Those issues, Worster said, include those "based around concerns about race."

Police services across Canada have debated whether to use body-worn cameras. Calgary police, for example, plan to sue the company that supplies their cameras.

Norm Dorr holds up a copy of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms outside a Hamilton Police Services board meeting. Dorr campaigned for body-worn cameras after his son-in-law was shot and killed by police. (Samantha Craggs/CBC)

Body-worn camera footage, Whitehead said, would have "been a piece of the puzzle that would have brought closure to the family."

It was the final day of a hearing into whether Const. Andrew Pfeifer improperly stopped and questioned Matthew Green, Hamilton's first black city councillor. Pfeifer says he was just checking on Green's well-being. Green says it was racially motivated.

About the Author

Samantha Craggs

Reporter

Samantha Craggs is a CBC News reporter based in Hamilton, Ont. She has a particular interest in politics and social justice stories, and tweets live from Hamilton city hall. Follow her on Twitter at @SamCraggsCBC, or email her at samantha.craggs@cbc.ca